18,859 research outputs found
CW and pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 263 GHz/12 T on operating amorphous silicon solar cells
Here we describe a new high frequency/high field continuous wave and pulsed
electrically detected magnetic resonance (CW EDMR and pEDMR) setup, operating
at 263 GHz and resonance fields between 0 and 12 T. Spin dependent transport in
illuminated hydrogenated amorphous silicon p-i-n solar cells at 5 K and 90 K
was studied by in operando 263 GHz CW and pEDMR alongside with complementary
X-band CW EDMR. Benefiting from the superior resolution at 263 GHz, we were
able to better resolve EDMR signals originating from spin dependent hopping and
recombination processes. 5 K EDMR spectra were found to be dominated by
conduction and valence band tale states involved in spin dependent hopping,
with additional contributions from triplet exciton states. 90 K EDMR spectra
could be assigned to spin pair recombination involving conduction band tail
states and dangling bonds as dominating spin dependent transport process, with
additional contributions from valence band tail and triplet exciton states.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure
Eigenvalue spectrum for single particle in a spheroidal cavity: A Semiclassical approach
Following the semiclassical formalism of Strutinsky et al., we have obtained
the complete eigenvalue spectrum for a particle enclosed in an infinitely high
spheroidal cavity. Our spheroidal trace formula also reproduces the results of
a spherical billiard in the limit . Inclusion of repetition of each
family of the orbits with reference to the largest one significantly improves
the eigenvalues of sphere and an exact comparison with the quantum mechanical
results is observed upto the second decimal place for . The
contributions of the equatorial, the planar (in the axis of symmetry plane) and
the non-planar(3-Dimensional) orbits are obtained from the same trace formula
by using the appropriate conditions. The resulting eigenvalues compare very
well with the quantum mechanical eigenvalues at normal deformation. It is
interesting that the partial sum of equatorial orbits leads to eigenvalues with
maximum angular momentum projection, while the summing of planar orbits leads
to eigenvalues with except for L=1. The remaining quantum mechanical
eigenvalues are observed to arise from the 3-dimensional(3D) orbits. Very few
spurious eigenvalues arise in these partial sums. This result establishes the
important role of 3D orbits even at normal deformations.Comment: 17 pages, 7 ps figure
Off-diagonal disorder in the Anderson model of localization
We examine the localization properties of the Anderson Hamiltonian with
additional off-diagonal disorder using the transfer-matrix method and
finite-size scaling. We compute the localization lengths and study the
metal-insulator transition (MIT) as a function of diagonal disorder, as well as
its energy dependence. Furthermore we investigate the different influence of
odd and even system sizes on the localization properties in quasi
one-dimensional systems. Applying the finite-size scaling approach in
conjunction with a nonlinear fitting procedure yields the critical parameters
of the MIT. In three dimensions, we find that the resulting critical exponent
of the localization length agrees with the exponent for the Anderson model with
pure diagonal disorder.Comment: 12 pages including 4 EPS figures, accepted for publication in phys.
stat. sol. (b
On the disappearance of a cold molecular torus around the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus of NGC 1097
We used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to map the
CO(3-2) and the underlying continuum emissions around the type 1 low-luminosity
active galactic nucleus (LLAGN; bolometric luminosity
erg~s) of NGC 1097 at pc resolution. These observations
revealed a detailed cold gas distribution within a pc of this LLAGN.
In contrast to the luminous Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068, where a pc cold
molecular torus was recently revealed, a distinctively dense and compact torus
is missing in our CO(3-2) integrated intensity map of NGC 1097. Based on the
CO(3-2) flux, the gas mass of the torus of NGC 1097 would be a factor of
less than that found for NGC 1068 by using the same CO-to-H
conversion factor, which implies less active nuclear star formation and/or
inflows in NGC 1097. Our dynamical modeling of the CO(3-2) velocity field
implies that the cold molecular gas is concentrated in a thin layer as compared
to the hot gas traced by the 2.12 m H emission in and around the
torus. Furthermore, we suggest that NGC 1097 hosts a geometrically thinner
torus than NGC 1068. Although the physical origin of the torus thickness
remains unclear, our observations support a theoretical prediction that
geometrically thick tori with high opacity will become deficient as AGNs evolve
from luminous Seyferts to LLAGNs.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ
The Role of ocean acidification in Emiliania huxleyi coccolith thinning in the Mediterranean Sea
Ocean acidification is a result of the uptake of anthropogenic CO₂ from the atmosphere into the ocean and has been identified as a major environmental and economic threat. The release of several thousands of petagrams of carbon over a few hundred years will have an overwhelming effect on surface ocean carbon reservoirs. The recorded and anticipated changes in seawater carbonate chemistry will presumably affect global oceanic carbonate production. Coccolithophores as the primary calcifying phytoplankton group, and especially Emiliania huxleyi as the most abundant species have shown a reduction of calcification at increased CO₂ concentrations for the majority of strains tested in culture experiments. A reduction of calcification is associated with a decrease in coccolith weight. However, the effect in monoclonal cultures is relatively small compared to the strong variability displayed in natural E. huxleyi communities, as these are a mix of genetically and sometimes morphologically distinct types. Average coccolith weight is likely influenced by the variability in seawater carbonate chemistry in different parts of the world's oceans and on glacial/interglacial time scales due to both physiological effects and morphotype selectivity. An effect of the ongoing ocean acidification on E. huxleyi calcification has so far not been documented in situ. Here, we analyze E. huxleyi coccolith weight from the NW Mediterranean Sea in a 12-year sediment trap series, and surface sediment and sediment core samples using an automated recognition and analyzing software. Our findings clearly show (1) a continuous decrease in the average coccolith weight of E. huxleyi from 1993 to 2005, reaching levels below pre-industrial (Holocene) and industrial (20th century) values recorded in the sedimentary record and (2) seasonal variability in coccolith weight that is linked to the coccolithophore productivity. The observed long-term decrease in coccolith weight is most likely a result of the changes in the surface ocean carbonate system. Our results provide the first indications of an in situ impact of ocean acidification on coccolithophore weight in a natural E. huxleyi population, even in the highly alkaline Mediterranean Sea
Trapped ion mobility spectrometry and PASEF enable in-depth lipidomics from minimal sample amounts
A comprehensive characterization of the lipidome from limited starting material remains very challenging. Here we report a high-sensitivity lipidomics workflow based on nanoflow liquid chromatography and trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS). Taking advantage of parallel accumulation-serial fragmentation (PASEF), we fragment on average 15 precursors in each of 100 ms TIMS scans, while maintaining the full mobility resolution of co-eluting isomers. The acquisition speed of over 100 Hz allows us to obtain MS/MS spectra of the vast majority of isotope patterns. Analyzing 1 mu L of human plasma, PASEF increases the number of identified lipids more than three times over standard TIMS-MS/MS, achieving attomole sensitivity. Building on high intra- and inter-laboratory precision and accuracy of TIMS collisional cross sections (CCS), we compile 1856 lipid CCS values from plasma, liver and cancer cells. Our study establishes PASEF in lipid analysis and paves the way for sensitive, ion mobility-enhanced lipidomics in four dimensions
Changes in calcification of coccoliths under stable atmospheric CO2
The response of coccolithophore calcification to ocean acidification has been studied in culture experiments as well as in present and past oceans. The response, however, is different between species and strains, and for the relatively small carbonate chemistry changes observed in natural environments, a uniform response of the entire coccolithophore community has not been documented so far. Moreover, previous palaeo-studies basically focus on changes in coccolith weight due to increasing CO2 and the resulting changes in the carbonate system, and only few studies focus on the influence of other environmental factors. In order to untangle changes in coccolithophore calcification due to environmental factors such as temperature and/or productivity from changes caused by increasing pCO2 and decreasing carbonate ion concentration, we here present a study on coccolith calcification from the Holocene North Atlantic Ocean. The pre-industrial Holocene, with its predominantly stable atmospheric CO2, provides the conditions for such a comprehensive analysis. For an analysis on changes in major components of Holocene coccolithophores under natural conditions, the family Noelaerhabdaceae was selected, which constitutes the main part of the assemblage in the North Atlantic.
Records of average coccolith weights from three Holocene sediment cores along a north–south transect in the North Atlantic were analysed. During the Holocene, mean weight (and therefore calcification) of Noelaerhabdaceae (Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa) coccoliths decreased at the Azores (Geofar KF 16) from around 7 to 6 pg, but increased at the Rockall Plateau (ODP site 980) from around 6 to 8 pg, and at the Vøring Plateau (MD08-3192) from 7 to 10 pg. The amplitude of average weight variability is within the range of glacial–interglacial changes that were interpreted to be an effect of decreasing carbonate ion concentration. By comparison with SEM assemblage counts, we show that weight changes are not only partly due to variations in the coccolithophore assemblage but also an effect of a change in calcification and/or morphotype variability within single species. Our results indicate that there is no single key factor responsible for the observed changes in coccolith weight. A major increase in coccolith weight occurs during a slight decrease in carbonate ion concentration in the late Holocene at the Rockall Plateau and Vøring Plateau. Here, more favourable productivity conditions apparently lead to an increase in coccolith weight, either due to the capability of coccolithophore species, especially E. huxleyi, to adapt to decreasing carbonate ion concentration or due to a shift towards heavier calcifying morphotypes
Independent ferroelectric contributions and rare-earth-induced polarization reversal in multiferroic TbMn2O5
Three independent contributions to the magnetically induced spontaneous
polarization of multiferroic TbMn2O5 are uniquely separated by optical second
harmonic generation and an analysis in terms of Landau theory. Two of them are
related to the magnetic Mn3+/4+ order and are independent of applied fields of
up to 7 T. The third contribution is related to the long-range
antiferromagnetic Tb3+ order. It shows a drastic decrease upon the application
of a magnetic field and mediates the change of sign of the spontaneous electric
polarization in TbMn2O5. The close relationship between the rare-earth
long-range order and the non-linear optical properties points to isotropic
Tb-Tb exchange and oxygen spin polarization as mechanism for this rare-earth
induced ferroelectricity.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Co-sputtered MoRe thin films for carbon nanotube growth-compatible superconducting coplanar resonators
Molybdenum rhenium alloy thin films can exhibit superconductivity up to
critical temperatures of . At the same time, the films are
highly stable in the high-temperature methane / hydrogen atmosphere typically
required to grow single wall carbon nanotubes. We characterize molybdenum
rhenium alloy films deposited via simultaneous sputtering from two sources,
with respect to their composition as function of sputter parameters and their
electronic dc as well as GHz properties at low temperature. Specific emphasis
is placed on the effect of the carbon nanotube growth conditions on the film.
Superconducting coplanar waveguide resonators are defined lithographically; we
demonstrate that the resonators remain functional when undergoing nanotube
growth conditions, and characterize their properties as function of
temperature. This paves the way for ultra-clean nanotube devices grown in situ
onto superconducting coplanar waveguide circuit elements.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure
Fine structure and optical pumping of spins in individual semiconductor quantum dots
We review spin properties of semiconductor quantum dots and their effect on
optical spectra. Photoluminescence and other types of spectroscopy are used to
probe neutral and charged excitons in individual quantum dots with high
spectral and spatial resolution. Spectral fine structure and polarization
reveal how quantum dot spins interact with each other and with their
environment. By taking advantage of the selectivity of optical selection rules
and spin relaxation, optical spin pumping of the ground state electron and
nuclear spins is achieved. Through such mechanisms, light can be used to
process spins for use as a carrier of information
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